Worried About Gender & Sexual Identity?
What is it?
College is a time for figuring out who you are and what you want on many different levels. Students regularly come to the Counseling Center to explore issues related to their sexual and/or gender identity. Gender and sexuality exist along a spectrum and can continually evolve.
Common areas to explore:
- Students who are questioning their sexual or gender identity may sometimes feel alone in their quests to understand themselves. Finding and connecting with other LGBTQIAP2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Aromantic, Pansexual, Two Spirit) individuals may feel daunting at first and sharing with friends and parents can feel scary. You may wonder: will the people in my life accept and support me? You may struggle with accepting this part of yourself. Maybe the values with which you were raised conflict with your experience of yourself and the world.
- These can be challenging questions to handle and feeling confused and unsupported can have a detrimental impact on your life. In fact, it is believed that the overall higher rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse in LGBTQ+ youth may be related to the minority stress of living in a cis hetero normative world.
Resources:
- The Counseling Center’s LGBTQIA+ Support Group is currently on a hiatus but keep a look out for updates!
- Check out the Rainbow Resource Center (2nd floor of the Memorial Union) for books and movies on LGBTQ+ topics or just to hang out.
- Consider joining Wilde-Stein Alliance for Sexual Diversity. This is a student group which embraces the spectrum of sexualities and genders. For more information, swing by the Rainbow Resource Center.
- If you want a confidential place to find support and guidance, please consider making an appointment at the Counseling Center. This is a place where you will not be judged and where you can talk openly about anything.